Are All Brown Bottles Created Equal?

[85shadow]

Well, I have about 15 cases of well cared for and clean brown (non screw) bottles. The sourrce of these bottles were mostly Sam Adams, Cooperstown Brewing and Brooklyn. At one time I worked for a can company and I can find the can manufacturer logo on each can. Is there a way to find the bottle manufacturer? Are any better than the next? I remember years are when there were true refillable bottles - actually returned to the brewer and refilled. They were always viewed as "glass" bottles while the others had other materials in them that impacted taste.

 

[whatsleftofyou]

I haven't found any difference personally, other than difference in shape (like Sierra Nevada), raised lettering (Sam Adams, etc) and some labels are more of a pain in the ass to remove than others.

 

[kjung]

This is more of a "I heard it through the grapevine" type of info, rather than personal experience, but allegedly macro-brewers will use a thinner, cheaper bottle that craft brewers.

 

[dmercer]

I feel like I get better crimps on Sam Adams bottles than, say, New Belgium, but I'm pretty sure that's just confirmation bias because I hate getting labels off the NB bottles

 

[ultravista]

I like the little rotund Anchor Steam American Ale bottles.

 

[fifelee]

To me some bottles just feel lighter. Occasionally these bottles will break when capping.

 

[DustBow]

I've read somewhere on here that Bavarian Hefe bottles are heavier/thicker/stronger because hefe's are carbed more than the average beer. Not sure if it's true though.

 

[Bottenbrew]

Most of my bottles are either Sam Adams or Leinenkugal, and both have held up for multiple years of refilling. Some of my friends drink New Belgium thought, +1 on the pain of getting those labels off.

 

[85shadow]

Who are the bottle manufacturers?

 

[barrooze]

I've never had any break on my during bottling, but DFH has bottles that are significantly lighter and thinner than the SA, NB, etc. bottles that I've collected. I still use them and haven't had any issues with any of them. I've also found that Chimay blue and red are different weight and color, though both are same shape, size, and brown. I found that interesting...

 

[remilard]

I've read somewhere on here that Bavarian Hefe bottles are heavier/thicker/stronger because hefe's are carbed more than the average beer. Not sure if it's true though.

I've not noticed much correlation between bottle thickness and carbonation. Paulaner Hefe Weizen in 500 ml bottles are very thick bottles, in 12 oz bottles they are very thin. Carbonation is the same (high).

The generic Belgian bottle (rochefort, st bernardus etc) is a bit thicker than US bottles but thinner than most English bottles, which hold moderately carbonated beer.

The correlation is always to return-ability and never to carbonation.

 

[sjlammer]

The labels are very difficult to get off of Saranac Bottles. Even soaking them in Oxyclean for 48 hours.

 

[badmajon]

I use mostly Sam Adams bottles, and I've been using the same ones over and over again.

 

[SwampassJ]

Who are the bottle manufacturers?

Who's on first.

I wouldn't be surprised if the larger craft brewers had their manufacturing in house.